Gusserane hold edge

A scoring string of five points in a row for Gusserane during 15 second-half minutes proved the decisive factor in this Enniscorthy Electrical Wholesale Junior hurling championship Group B tie at St. Patrick's Park on Friday, condemning Ferns St. Aidan's to their third defeat of three matches played.

Gusserane 0-1 Ferns St Aidan's 0-10

Matters were level at 0-8 apiece in the 41st minute of a match that could best be described as mediocre. While it wasn't particularly exciting, it still seemed anybody's for the taking, but then Gusserane began to pull away.

A long free from Fintan Ryan was the first of the five key scores, and it was followed by others from Seán Ryan, Mark O'Neill, Páraic Conway and Adrian Redmond to stretch the south county side's lead to 0-13 to 0-8 with just four minutes to go.

Ferns pulled one back through a free from substitute Gavin Collier (who had replaced earlier free-taker, Peter O'Toole), but Seán Ryan replied at the other end as the game moved into injury time.

One late last point for Ferns - that seemed to come from the stick of Pádraig Bolger, as about half a dozen players pulled at the same time on a dropping ball - completed the scoring, with Gusserane emerging victorious from what was really a disappointing tie.